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[romanworld]

Taiwan's higher education system is seriously impaired, evidenced by the superfluous number of universities and colleges, lack of quality control of such institutions, uneven quality of students and high unemployment among graduates.

Even though Taiwan has a population of just 23 million people, it nevertheless has more than 160 universities and colleges.

Over the past 10 years, the number of undergraduates has doubled from 680,000 people to 1.03 million. The number of students enrolled in master's programs, meanwhile, has risen from 87,000 to 185,000, and the number of those enrolled in doctoral programs is up from 16,000 to 34,000.

At the same time, Taiwan's birth rate has been trending downward. There are currently only 180,000 people in the two-year-old population, significantly fewer than the 350,000 people in the 19-year-old population. Even if all senior high school graduates go to university, the number of freshmen will decrease by 10,000 every year over the next 18 years.

Based on past enrollment data, the Ministry of Education can predict which universities and university departments are likely to be closed due to insufficient enrollment in the coming decade. The ministry needs to publish this data and work out plans to help failing institutions transform themselves or leave the higher education market.

We also urge university students to think clearly about what career path they want to take in the future. If they are enrolled in a school that lacks competitiveness or does not suit them, they can choose another path to fulfill their dreams.

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201309030011.aspx